An Elder Pilgrim's Reflections

  "The Mooch" “I will not leave you orphaned;  I am coming to you" (from John 14:15-21 ) Have you ever experienced feelings of being lost or abandoned? This is “The Mooch” He earned that name after he appeared at the sliding door of our deck with a forlorn look. Like many feral cats, we have no clue where he came from and how he happened to choose our deck. So, being kind to cats, Elaine fed him. From then on, we could count on his appearance. Sometimes he would stay for an hour, sometimes he would stretch out and enjoy the sun most of the day. His one rule was: don’t try to catch me. One day he didn’t show up. Then he didn’t show up for three days in a row and we concluded something happened to him or he simply decided to move on in search of another deck with a sliding door. Once again, “The “Mooch” was on his own. Jesus, though, made a promise to his disciples: he would not abandon them. It’s hard to get through life without experiencing feeling lost...

 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going,  so how can we know the way?” (from John 14:1-14   )    As I write, it’s the celebration of Route 66’s 100th anniversary. Founded on November 11, 1926, US 66 stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. During the 1930s Dust Bowl, it served as a key migration route and boosted local businesses. Signs and advertising from 1927 made travel easy. Thomas's question to Jesus, “How can we know the way?” reflected his desire to better grasp Jesus’ teachings and understand how to follow them. Just as travelers once relied on Route 66 to guide them west, we rely on spiritual guidance to navigate our own journeys—sometimes finding the path less clear as traditions change or challenges arise. Upon reflection of my personal faith journey with Jesus, I have considered this question throughout my spiritual development and transitions between churches. “How can we know the way?” Initially, the solutions appe...

  "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,." (from Psalm 23 ) Psalm 23 highlights God's comfort and care also inviting us to connect with the deeper radical claims confronting our experiences of suffering, fear, hostility, and alienation. The rural comparation connects strongly with Christians, especially in seeing Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Pointing to God’s ongoing blessing and presence. Awareness of Psalm 23 can hide new meaning in the Psalm. Careful study reveals it as a journey from rest through valleys, always guided by God. For example, there is a real “Valley of the shadow of death” known as the Wadi Qelt. steep-sided desert valley (wadi) in the Judean Desert, extending from near Jerusalem to Jericho. Known as a "valley of the shadow of death" due to its steep, treacherous terrain, considered the setting for the Good Samaritan parable. Travelers on the dangerous 7-mile journey from Jerusalem to Jericho could expect to be beaten and ro...

Hawk's Nest Overview "  Now on that same day  two of disciples were going to a  village called Emmaus,  about seven miles [  from Jerusalem,  and talking with each other  about all these things that had h9appened."  (from   Luke 24:13-35 ) The Hawk’s Nest is a scenic, cliff-hanging stretch of NY State Route 97 offering dramatic views of the Delaware River.   Originally a one-lane dirt road built in 1859, it is known for bald eagle sighting, scenic overlook, and its twists and turns.   "Just as the Hawk’s Nest Road winds unpredictably, so too do our days.   For example, one day started off unpredictably, with the electrician arriving at 7:30, followed by the plumber at 8:30, and then a sincere thank you note delivered in person at 9.   "Our current polarized society creates complex, unexpected twists and turns that are difficult to navigate." The Emmaus Road story is one of hope in times of twists and tu...

'Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance." (from Psalm 16 ) As I sat at the breakfast table this morning enjoying my cup of coffee, I watched two blue birds, several sparrows, a Downey woodpecker, and the usual band of deer make their appearances." Just as a cup holds what sustains us, I choose the Lord to fill my life with meaning and strength each day." When I am looking for a closer, more intimate connection, I read from the Psalms because      “the Lord is my chosen portion and cup” Some Psalms I read over and over, while others I return to less frequently, but each time I reflect on them, my relationship with the Lord deepens. For example, Psalm 16 has comforted me during difficult times, reminding me that I am never alone This has been true for centuries, as the psalms describe the Lords actions in people’s lives, especially in...

  To trap Jesus, the Sadducees who don’t believe in resurrection, asked complicated question about a widow who’d     been married seven times according to Moses Law. Sadducees ask, “Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?” Jesus states they are wrong because they do not know the Scriptures or God's power. He explains that in the resurrection, people neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven . Earthly marriage systems, Jesus says, don’t apply to the resurrected state. The Sadducees basically asked an uninformed question. Over the years I preached on the Resurrection that as a Christian you must believe it   Resurrection is something you conveniently declare during worship. Jesus’ resurrection isn’t something we completely understand. Caroline Lewis tells of the time, after a lecture a woman spoke to her saying, “My cup was empty. Today was my road to Emmau...